Devils News

Lamoriello excited about new coaching staff

Devils President/CEO/GM Lou Lamoriello spoke to the media Tuesday after the club announced the additions of new assistant coaches Scott Stevens and Matt Shaw.

What do the new assistants bring?

Lamoriello: "Well, I think it's obvious what, first of all, Scotty Stevens brings. He brings playing experience, coaching experience – he's been with us. He knows the system, he had a year of special assignments. He knows our prospects, he's been in Albany (AHL) over the last couple of years, back and forth, and certainly has interacted with Pete [DeBoer] for the last year.

"He's at every home game. He goes down to the locker room after games, so there's nothing that's a surprise on either end. Pete and I have had discussions since Larry [Robinson] decided that he didn't know whether he wanted to retire or what he wanted to do. There's no question that Scotty was the best candidate in our minds, and then it was whether Scotty wanted to make that decision to get right into coaching full-time. He knows what the commitment is and is excited about it."

When he was an assistant under Jacques [Lemaire], he didn't travel. Will he be doing everything?

"Everything. He's a full-time assistant."

And Matt?

"Matt brings exactly what Adam [Oates] brought when he was here. He ran the power play in San Jose over the last three or four years. He also has experience behind the bench. Pete will decide who's upstairs and who's down, but Scotty will be handling the defense on the bench and I'm sure that Dave [Barr] will be on the bench and Matt will be upstairs. But that's what Pete has told me his plans are, and I believe he spoke to the coaches about his plans already. This is not something that's happened overnight. It's something that's been talked about. Today it all became 100 percent final when you dot the 'i's' and cross the 't's'. We knew it'd be done by this week, and it is. … He brings experience and has coached at all levels.

"In Matt's case, he also worked under Jacques Lemaire, so we know about him, and worked as the first assistant in San Jose. So there's plenty of experience. I'm excited about the coaching staff for what it brings and, also, Pete's excited, which makes me more excited."

Keeping Scott involved in the organization, was this something that you've gradually been building towards?

"There's no question. If you'll recall, when I went behind the bench, I had Scott Stevens come on the ice and worked with him hand-in-hand, know what he brings, the way he thinks. We all know the type of competitor Scotty is. He's really acquired experience over the last several years that has just grown and grown and grown in all aspects. I've been extremely impressed with his evaluation ratings and what he offers. You never knows sometimes, great players don't always make great coaches, but Scotty is a student of the game. Always has been.

"I don't think we have to question his knowledge of defense. And [he's] played for some great coaches throughout his career, played in the Olympics, World Cups. What he brings, you can't teach."